Be it a 9 to 5 job or working for your own business, it doesn’t matter if you are a content creator or a house-wife. People face stress and anxiety almost every day in their lives. You tend to focus on your work, family, or business and forget to take care of yourself.
Tension buildup and elevated stress levels need to be brought down as much as possible and as often as possible. Otherwise, it may have adverse effects on the body as well as mind.
Enjoying some me-time is usually the last thing that you would keep in your list of things to be done. But remember, when you take good care of yourself, you are well-equipped to take care of others around you.
Therefore given below are some easy and doable tips to take care of yourself when you feel the need for it.
Epsom salt bath or foot soak
There is no better feeling than taking a hot bath after a long and tiring day. Try adding some Epsom salt to the bathtub and enjoy it while sipping a beverage of your choice.
Epsom salt is known to relax muscles and soothe itching and inflammation. Epsom salts get absorbed in the body through the skin and draw out toxins from the body.
If you don’t have access to a bathtub, don’t worry you can still do a foot soak with Epsom salts which will relax the strain that you might have accumulated due to a full day of running around.
Read something that you like
Some people find reading a chapter or two, of a motivational or a self-help book, to be very effective in lifting their mood.
A powerful quote could remind you of the truth that you might preach in your life.
It is always said that books are your best friends. They will always be by your side and teach you something new and helpful every time you read it.
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Bake/cook
It is considered as a therapy by some people. If you had a bad day at work or it was just a busy weekend which did not allow you to get some self-care time, try cooking or baking.
You could make your tried and tested recipe and enjoy it with your family or try something new that you would have saved in your to-try list for a long time.
Spending some quality time in the kitchen is a very effective way to de-stress and relax.
The process of cooking is therapeutic in itself along with the added benefit of the delicious food that you get to enjoy at the end of the process.
Put on something comfy
You won’t believe how much of a mood changer are your comfy pajamas. The switch from your work clothes to pajamas will instantly make you forget 50% of your stress.
A pair of comfy pajamas, a face-mask to hydrate your skin and a tv-series to binge-watch, is all that you need to relax…Well, maybe a tub of ice-cream would be a bonus.
Stretch yourself/ go for a walk
Stretching reduces the tension build-up in your muscles. So grab your yoga mat and spend some quality time with yourself out on your front yard, in your balcony or on the terrace.
Feeling low?….go for a walk or jog…Exercising releases endorphins in our body. These endorphins are known to reduce stress and ease any kind of pain you might be encountering.
They help in lifting your mood and make you feel energized. They also trigger positivity in the body and have a very similar effect to that of morphine.
If you are not in the mood to go for a walk, stretch or exercise, just sit down and do mindful breathing.
It helps in increasing the oxygen level in your body and ease any stress build-up that you might have. Enjoy the sun on a cold winter afternoon.
Mindfully enjoy a cup of tea/coffee
I will be biased and tell you the process of brewing a cup of coffee because I am a coffee addict. A simple thing such as brewing a cup of coffee for yourself could be a de-stressing process for an individual.
Just open a can of roasted coffee powder, if you like the smell of coffee, it will teleport you to a magical wonderland.
Put some water on the stove and let it simmer. Watching the bubbles form and eventually boiling of the water to the formation of vapors is sirene.
Then enjoying the decoction of coffee with or without sugar or even with milk added to it.
Just sit in a corner and enjoy your coffee one sip at a time in silence looking outside your window.
Enjoy a home-cooked meal
There is nothing better to lift your mood than a home-cooked meal. Some researches say that people who eat home-cooked meals on a regular basis are less prone to anxiety and stress.
It has all the nutrients and health benefits that you might not find in a store-bought or restaurant meal.
Make time for sleep
Sleeping at least 7-8 hours a day is an essential part of self-care. Not getting proper sleep can make you irritable and cause stress and anxiety. Sleeping is as important as food and water for human beings.
Do something for someone you care
As rightly said by Ben Carson, happiness doesn’t result from what we get, but from what we give. Give something back to society in any way or form you can!…. Do volunteering and teach underprivileged kids or visit an orphanage.
It will not only develop gratitude in your heart for the life you have but also make you learn to enjoy little things in life.
Create a playlist
Listening songs is always helpful in reducing stress and uplifting the mood. Just put on some dancing music and dance till you drop.
It will make you happy and also will be a good workout for the body. No mood to dance?…try some relaxing music and just enjoy it with your evening cup of tea.
Music is a well-known therapy. It helps in eliminating sadness or helps you with your nervous happiness.
It is also known to help you with sleep-related problems.
My favorite pastime is searching for some new music that I will eventually listen to on a loop and get obsessed with.
Unplug from the social-media
One of the most reported forms of stress is social media. It puts you in a bad mood in a jiffy. Sometimes you just need to get away from all the gadgets and electronics and enjoy this life just like old times.
People were happier without social-media being just a touch away. They seem to feel pressurized and stressed looking at other people on a platform that might be more often than not deceptive. So if you feel this is the reason for your stress or is adding to your existing reasons for stress, try to take a break from it and live in reality.
I hope one or more of the above-mentioned tips will help you in fighting stress and anxiety. It may boost your positivity and get you going on the difficult days.
Remember to learn to love yourself and take care of yourself before you think about anyone else. You should be your priority.
Hence take a break whenever you feel like it and do something that you enjoy to de-stress yourself. Stay positive!…. Stay stress-free and take care of yourself.
